ObamaOdrama

Spencer Hsu reports that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has postponed a series of planned immigration raids and other enforcement actions in recent weeks.

A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute — increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers.

“ICE is now scrutinizing these cases more thoroughly to ensure that [targets] are being taken down when they should be taken down, and that the employer is being targeted and the surveillance and the investigation is being done how it should be done,” said the official, discussing Napolitano’s views about sensitive law enforcement matters on the condition of anonymity.

“There will be a change in policy, but in the interim, you’ve got to scrutinize the cases coming up,” the senior DHS official said, noting Napolitano’s expectations as a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general.

Another DHS official said Napolitano plans to release protocols this week to ensure more consistent work-site investigations and less “haphazard” decision-making.

I don’t think anyone has issue with prosecuting businesses for hiring “illegal” immigrants but the illegal immigrants are still illegal!  This new focus is about as logical as just going after the gun manufacturer and ignoring the shooter in a homicide case.  Hmm that logic sounds familiar… 

In case you were curious why the new focus on businesses rather than illegal immigrants… Latino outrage.

Napolitano’s moves foreshadow the difficult political decisions the Obama administration faces as it decides whether to continue mass arrests of illegal immigrant workers in sweeps of meatpackers, construction firms, defense contractors and other employers.

Critics say workplace and neighborhood sweeps are harsh and indiscriminate, and they accuse the government of racial profiling, violating due process rights and committing other humanitarian abuses.

The raids have enraged Latino community and religious leaders, immigrant advocates and civil liberties groups important to the Democratic base, who have stepped up pressure on Obama to stop them.

Let’s be honest, this new focus on prosecuting businesses and owners is the administration’s way of pretending to do something about illegal immigration while doing absolutely nothing.  Worse yet the government seems to be encouraging illegal immigration by taking a clear stance opposing law enforcement in this matter.   House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) has recently called the enforcement of current U.S. immigration laws “un-American” and arranged a formal meeting between Obama and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to convey this same message.  Even now Sheriff Joe Arpaio is being investigated by our own Department of Jokes for enforcing U.S. immigration laws. 

Apparently Obama’s pledge to the National Council of La Raza includes more than just amnesty.

Mike Allen confirms that Rick Wagoner, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, is resigning at the behest of the Obama administration.

The White House confirmed Wagoner was leaving at the government’s behest after The Associated Press reported his immediate departure, without giving a reason.

On Monday, President Obama is to unveil his plans for the auto industry, including a response to a request for additional funds by GM and Chrysler.

Industry sources had said the White House planned very tough medicine, which turned out to be an understatement. And it went to the very top. The measures to be imposed by the government will have a dramatic effect on workers, unions, suppliers, retirees and the communities where plants are located, the sources said.

If the government never bailed out GM in the first place this would have happened a long time ago without requiring a tax payer dime, abusing the public trust, and ending private ownership. 

Hail Government Motors - the new “People’s Car” manufacturer.

Striking a serious blow to Obama who has been counting on Europe to follow in his footsteps with their own Generations Impoverished, Victimized, and Embezzled act, European leaders are forming a clear stance against more government spending sprees.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, last night led the assault on the prime minister’s “global new deal” for a $2 trillion-plus fiscal stimulus to end the recession.

“I will not let anyone tell me that we must spend more money,” she said.

The Spanish finance minister, Pedro Solbes, also dismissed new cash being pledged at Thursday’s London summit.

 “In these conditions I and the rest of my colleagues from the eurozone believe there is no room for new fiscal stimulus plans,” he said.

Obama might want to bring a couple extra teleprompters and American DVD’s when he travels to Europe next week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is fast tracking health care legislation this week that would include an option for a government run program that would compete with insurers.

Pelosi reasons a government role in health care will help U.S. companies be more competitive.

“This is not only about the health of individuals in our country, which will be justification enough,” said Pelosi, a California Democrat. “It’s about the competitiveness of our businesses to make them globally competitive because they are competing with companies and countries where the federal government — their governments — pay for health care. They don’t have to bear those health care costs.”

So, creating a government program funded by taxing health care benefits provided by private insurers will make these companies ultimately more competitive?  Doesn’t it sound like Pelosi is really proposing to eliminate competition?  While the government is subsidized by their customers, private insurers will be forced to increase premiums and reduce health benefits while customers defect to the cheaper government alternative.   Its pretty clear the government doesn’t consider these insurers “too big to fail” unlike AIG and other financial institutions they are asking for control over.  Funny how that works out…

Treasury Secretary Tim “Turbo Tax” Geithner is still at it pressing for more control over Wall Street.  Appearing before the House Financial Services Committee today, Geithner bandied about terms like systemic risk, consumer/investor protections, international coordination, and of course greater regulatory power.  But as is his custom, Geithner had no specifics and was unwilling or unable to answer questions challenging his fundamental argument that government needs more control of financial institutions yesterday

You can find the entire hearing at C-SPAN

Rep David Scott (D-G) surprisingly asked a fair question.  Since insurances companies are already regulated at the state level, and were not at the heart of the financial crisis, is there a conflict in this broad extension of government power?

How does Geithner respond?  “Excellent question.  Let me just start by saying what we need is better, smarter, tougher regulations.”  That is not an answer.  Nor did he address the main part of the question in his elaboration.  Unfortunately, he was not pressed on the matter either.

Rep. John  Campbell (R-Cali.) following up a line of questioning about Geithner’s proposal for resolution authority and the framework for that authority stressed, “my concern, Mr. Treasury Secretary, would be that if you have, that this is a pretty extreme authority of receivership.  But if you have that authority without the complete information and perspective of a full regulatory framework,  wrong decisions could be made.”

“We designed this proposal to fit within current laws… so that, I mean, current regulatory structure.  You could move on this proposal… alone, and once you do the broader regulatory redesign we’re proposing, you could come back and make sure they fit… you could do it that way,”  Geithner responded.

Geithner even went further claiming it was a great tragic failure of the country that the government didn’t possess the proposed broad authority at the start of the economic crisis and that it was in the interest of the country, for Congress to do everything it can to make sure they’ve got broader tools to manage this effectively.  Basically, just give us the power now and we’ll discuss details later. 

This guy was the President of the N.Y. Federal Reserve since 2003!  It was his job to supervise and regulate financial institutions and he failed!  Just look at the bang up job he did to help call attention to the pending economic crisis during his watch.  Bear Sterns and Lehman… Fail.   Either through malfeasance or incompetence he failed to pay $35,000 in taxes using Turbo Tax - software the majority of Americans use to file.  Not to mention he masterminded the bail out of AIG to the tune of $170 billion of our tax dollars!  He now believes he and the government should be given absolute authority over every financial institution in this country without a speck of proof that even bailing out AIG was in our best interest?  Without detailing the conditions on this new power?

What business decisions are too risky to pursue?  Would a business investment be too risky?  Would an acquisition merger be too risky?  Perhaps not going through with a merger is too risky.  How much is too little capital, how much is too much?  Enough is enough!

Wake up people!  These guys in office are just manipulating your frustration and helplessness to further their own political agendas.  The government doesn’t care they spent $170 billion on AIG because it’s not their money.  The government knew about and approved the AIG bonuses before they were ever outraged.  But by portraying AIG as greedy, fat cats the government can fool you into agreeing with this power grab among others as if it serves AIG right.  But hey, nevermind the government is getting ready to shell out another $30 billion to evil AIG.    No, government isn’t looking out for you and you don’t have to look out for big government. 

it’s coming whether you like it or not.